The Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina

Yesterday, we went to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, near Fort Bragg.  Donna and I were prepared for the museum to be small, old and musty, but, since both Tony and Bob were in the  military, we decided to fore go boutique shopping for a day and do this with them.  

WOW....were we wrong!  The museum is fascinating.  It's big, bright and filled with memorabilia and artifacts from every modern day conflict in which the United States participated.  Plus, there was a special exhibit because this is the 100th anniversary of  the end of World War 1.  

You enter the museum by passing a statue of an American soldier named, "Iron Mike."  Iron Mike was commissioned in 1960 and finished and dedicated in 1961.  He is 15 feet tall and weighs over 3,000 pounds.  His look and size reminded me of an art class that I took years ago.   I learned that Kings and Emperors used to have statues made in their images, but they had the artist significantly inflate the image so they appeared to be huge and powerful.  The statues were displayed far and wide to people who never saw the ruler in person.  They were made to instill fear in the people so they would not revolt.  Any country who got a look at Iron Mike would think twice about taking on America.  

You can't help but be proud as you are walking through the exhibits.  America declared "total war."  War efforts were not just the job of soldiers.  If you were a good and true American, you did something to help win the war.  And, no job was too small.  The political posters were really historical pieces of art that captured the feeling of a nation.  

In addition to the exhibits, there was a movie about World War II, we saw when the American and allied forces took back Burma, landed at Normandy and jointly fought in Europe.   It was loud, proud and dramatic.  When you saw how far across Europe the German marched and dominated and then looked at where the Japanese took hold, it's hard to image that the allied forces could win.  

There were various exhibits about certain military missions and special forces.  I have a whole new respect for people who parachute out of a plane into enemy territory and I can't even image the fear they must feel as they step up to the open door and step out into a sky filled with bursts of light from gun fire.  

Tom Brokaw talked about the people in the war effort of World War II, he called them the "greatest generation," and after seeing this museum, there is no doubt that they were. 

The "soldiers" on display were amazing in the detail that went into making them, especially on their hands.  You could see veins, wrinkles and finger nails.  It was almost spooky to stand so close to them and look into their eyes.  I half expected someone to break their pose and say, "boo!" to me as I examined their uniforms and equipment.  

We spent some time in the Viet Nam conflict section.  How odd to see the "conflict" from this side instead of what was on the news.  Oh...that must be where the term, "fake news" came from.  

After almost two hours, we headed out to lunch and back to the Cape Fear Winery.  Unfortunately, the winery wasn't open, but we did get to see some peacocks.  We'll be back.  

It was a wonderful day and a real learning experience.  I wish our fathers could have been there with us. 

Here are some memories:

This is all 15 feet of Iron Mike

I wish you could see the detail on his face.  

It was every one's responsibility to win the war

This war poster talks about liberty, civilization and humanity

If you couldn't fight in the war, it was your 

responsibility to buy war bonds and fund it

This was outside of the World War 1 exhibit

Examples of World War 1 uniforms

You decide....life like or creepy?

Tony hunkers down with some troops looking for an ambush

"Over there," he says "I see something!"

And what did he see?  A soldier in the bushes with a

 gun trained on his position

Here is the soldier that is hiding....we've spotted him now...

Gliders and planes hung from the ceilings...threatening and proud

 Tony points out Okinawa (where he was stationed overseas) to Donna, and Bob scopes out the German occupation in Europe

Donna, Bob and Tony sit in jump seats ready to jump 

out of the plane and activate their parachutes....I'm glad I'm the photographer!

Images of a soldier and an aid from Viet Nam

Only the peacocks were at the winery

As evidenced by peacock poop on the tables!!

The wise vineyard frog says, "Come back soon!"